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THE BETTY PAGES The regionâ€™s most inclusive alternative-lifestyle entertainment tabloid

a Desire Enterprises publication

April 2012

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The Betty Pages - April 2012 Betty’s Corner

In The Mix

1 3 5

Hungry for Moore: The Ultimate Comfort Food

Community Notes

By Betty Desire, The Betty Pages

Page 3 By Bridget Adams By Caity Moore

Local Faces of Marriage Equality The Comics!

By Lara Beth Carter

Gay Film Bibliography By Bichoo Vrishchik

Transliterations

By Taelor Anne Warner

9 11

13 15

Miss Betty Desire has been entertaining anyone who would listen in Bellingham for nearly 10 years, and is proprietor of The Betty Pages, the monthly publication that you are reading at this very moment. It is her hope that your perusal of the Betty Pages will enrich your life one chuckle at a time. Queer Film Historian Bichoo Vrishchik (Scorpio Scorpion) has published in Film Quarterly Sight and Sound, International Film Guide, Filmfare, Youth Times, and Manshots. With a BA from Pacific Lutheran College (1959) and a MA from San Francisco State College (1968), he has also taught film at Western Washington University. Writer Bridget Adams currently resides in Washington State but that is always subject to change. Lucky enough to be a full-time, if poor, writer, she is most likely somewhere in front of her computer with a cup of coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. Taelor Anne Warner is a local performer and educator. She started making educational videos in 2009 to share more information about the transgender community. A former WWU student she was one of the driving forces behind TransPort, the transgender support group on campus, and makes occasional appearances at drag shows and events in the Bellingham area. Naomi Steele graduated Whatcom Community College with an Associates in Visual Communications -Graphic Design but prefers more hands on tinkering such as wire craft & random projects (of which she has many still to finish). She believes that everyone has a right to pursue their happiness as long as it doesn’t harm others Staff Photographer John Phillip, after 40+ years of television production work John has settled down in B’ham to semi retirement. He now drives late night shuttle for WWU and has revised his love of photography. His education touched on Theology, pre-med, law enforcement, fire protection engineering and film production. John likes to keep broad horizons. “Don’t Dream It, Be It”

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Betty’s Corner

Betty Desire, The Betty Pages

it right away. The Bellingham Police Department has a liaison to the LGBT community ask to speak with them. Above all be safe.

For the next few Months we are going

to feature profiles of some of our local same sex couples If you wish to be included e-mail me at thebettypages@gmail.com we want to put a local face on the State marriage equality debate. Locate the website of Washington United for Marriage and sign up we must do all we can to stop the effort to rescind Washington State’s marriage Equality Law.

Things at home are all a twitter my

daughter Beth and granddaughter Taylor are moving into their own apartment! They have April! The winter is over and Spring has begun! You will notice on this month’s cover Betty and other members of Bellingham’s Radical Fairies group are featured standing under the “Pansies” am a delicate flower! The Radical Fairies meet for coffee every Saturday at Trapeze in Bellingham’s Public Market on Cornwall Street at Noon.

In this month’s issue you will also find

an article about a recent attack on a member of the LGBT community in Bellingham. As we get closer to the November election these sorts of things may increase. We are no longer under the radar and with the possibility of marriage Equality being on the ballot it is important for all

down in San Francisco last late June. It’s been close quarters in this basement apartment for the last 9 months It is going to be soooo quiet here when they leave! I have plans to move the Betty Pages office back to the house and consolidate.

Lastly a word to Men who have sex

with Men. Within the next year funding will cease for HIV outreach testing. If you have not been getting tested you need to. If there is the perception that there is no need testing will stop. You and I both know there are gay and bi-sexual men in Whatcom County who are sexually active and don’t get tested. Take the right step and know your status!

of us to be extra careful. Consider using the buddy system when you go out. Try to avoid escalating

Until Next Month

a conflict,. Stick to well lit areas when you go out. Let someone know where you are going and

Betty Desire

when you expect to be home so they can check on you. Better to live and fight another day than get beat up If you do get attacked call 911 and report

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sign at The Garden Spot on Alabama. After all, I

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In The Mix Bridget Adams

No doubt by now, Poppets, you have heard about LOGO’s programming change. Everyone seems to have weighed in, and I’m not going to be the exception. Before I start, though, in case you haven’t heard, back in February, LOGO television announced that it was moving away from LGBTQ-centric programming. Are you caught up? Good. Here we go.

rage. If LOGO wants to/needs to incorporate this kind of programming into their schedule for that reason, I really do understand. Business is business. But LOGO, after six years of loyalty and keeping you in business, please, don’t add insult to injury by pretending these changes are about us. Attract your straight audiences; make your money. Even tell yourself whatever lies you need to. Just stop trying to feed them to us.

The official press release reads: In the 6 years since Logo launched, there has been a seismic shift in culture and the network’s new programming slate reflects that. From the push for marriage equality, to the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and even the mass appeal of broadcast TV shows like “Modern Family” all signal a significant movement in today’s culture where “out” characters are celebrated for their success and values and the majority of gays and lesbians define themselves by multi-dimensional notions other than purely on their sexual orientation. “Culturally, we’re past the tipping point. For gays and lesbians, it’s part of who they are, but they don’t lead with it, because many are leading fully integrated, mainstream lives,” said Lisa Sherman, Executive Vice President of Logo. “Our goal at Logo has always been to honestly reflect our viewers’ lives. We’re now reinforcing our commitment to them with programming that truly mirrors how many of them are living and want to be entertained today.” (http://www.logopressroom. com/press-release/logo-amplifies-culture-shift-with-expanded-programming/) Ummm….really? Okay. Let’s break it down… “From the push for marriage equality…” – which we still do not have, nor are we anywhere close to having it nationwide. Lovely.

“…the mass appeal of broadcast TV shows…”- such as Billy Crystal’s character, Jody, in the series Soap, which ran from 1977-1981. They’re relying on a statement that could’ve been made in 1978. Lovely. “…because many are leading fully integrated, mainstream lives,” – and good for them. Seriously. Said without bitterness, sarcasm, or malice. But many, many more of us are still required to be closeted, to hide. “Our goal at Logo has always been to honestly reflect our viewers’ lives.” – because so many of us are child beauty pageant stars (Eden’s World), family members of mob bosses (Wiseguys), or want to “test the creative talents of dog owners and their canine companions.” (Design My Dog) No, I’m not making that last one up. Someone, please, tell me what it even means. Not a single new show has an LGBTQ character as the lead of the focus. Instead, we are the quirky, fabulous best friend/sidekick. That stereotype isn’t okay in mainstream programming. Now, LOGO is asking us to be okay with being relegated there on our own station. I get that many of us don’t “lead with” our orientation. That doesn’t mean we want to be invisible or a subplot. There is still a place for us to be the leads, the focus, more than a sidekick. We can get all the other stuff on Bravo, TLC, ABC, Lifetime – the list goes on and on. Why hand it to us here, on LOGO, too? Look, I also get that business run on financial decisions. Reality t.v. is all the

Hungry for Moore: The Ultimate Comfort Food Caity Moore

When I first sat down to write a column about food, I imagined grandiose and witty musings about one of Bellingham’s great local eateries. Well, if writing didn’t take us somewhere unintended, that wouldn’t be fun, would it? I am going to be blunt. I love food. I love everything about it and what it represents- family, friends, nourishment, pleasure, love, life. I love to cook, but mostly, I love to eat! And I was fortunate enough to have one of the best “foodie” experiences of my life happen recently. Some of you may remember The Anker Café in Downtown Bellingham, where owner Bill Anker served up soups, sandwiches, milkshakes, and coffee to those looking for some comfort food on rainy Bellingham days. (Not short on those, are we?) Sadly, The Anker Café closed its doors in June of 2010, and we were left without Bill’s soup to help us through the week. Well, I recently had the great pleasure of having Bill over to my house to make soup for my family and reminisce about the Thursday nights we spent in his café. Watching someone create something they’re passionate about is indeed spectacular. In addition to wonderful smells coming from the kitchen (the first being fresh basil, the last being bacon), there was laughter and obvious joy as he almost effortlessly made two different soups to feed 10 hungry people. My personal favorite was always the Tomato Basil, usually accompanied by one of Bill’s amazing grilled cheese sandwiches. Other members of my family were hardcore Potato Cheddar fans. He agreed to make both and we were not disappointed! I had to try both, of course. The Tomato Basil Soup was first for me and in my opinion; it is everything a tomato soup should be. This is not the Campbell’s that is served with grilled cheese on a rainy afternoon. This soup is the perfect blend of creamy, tangy, and flavorful. The basil, which serves as an ingredient and a garnish, provides a slightly sweet and very fresh taste that plays well with the acidity of the tomatoes. For a brief moment, I thought that the only thing this soup needed was a grilled cheese with it, but only if I hadn’t tasted what was next.

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“…to the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’…” – which is only half the battle while DOMA is still in effect. Lovely.

Until next month, Poppets, take care of you.

Hungry for Moore: Continued

Community Notes

The Potato Cheddar Soup was something completely unique and delicious. new bunch of flavors, which still has me wanting more. With everything from carrots to roasted peppers to bacon, this was a plethora of flavors that made me giddy. It was smooth, made possible by the aid of an immersion blended, but you still caught a glimpse of a red pepper or a bit of cheddar cheese. It was like a loaded baked potato with new and interesting ingredients, but it was also like nothing I had tasted before.

Yes both Adam and I are pressing charges. Because he used the word “faggot” then followed with violence the assault went from a misdemeanor to felony 4 which is a hate crime. He was arrested and then bailed out. Now there is a warrant out for his arrest .

Bill Anker is truly an inspiration and I hope that someday he opens another cafe and lets everyone see for themselves.

Yes at first the impact of it was more severe than I had thought inappropriately I was drinking more than I normally would. I moved back in with my mom she was a great support. I tried to force myself to go out immediately after it happened I wanted to be braver than what had happened without really allowing myself to process healthfully the severity of it the actual fact that I was physically harmed in a way that was everyone’s biggest fear. I had been physically harmed in a way that everyone that loved me had feared. It had actually happened. When you’re queer and you have a good support system everyone worries about you they hear what people say and they want to protect you. Everyone in my circle of support is on edge now they want me to text them when I am out, their fear for my safety has been validated. It has effected my relationships in a big way.

Community Notes Violence can Happen Here

What day did the altercation happen? It was February 10th it was a Friday I performed a show at the Spark Museum, celebratory drinks ensued with my sister and her husband and the sound guy. We went to the Grand Avenue Ale House we had a couple drinks and about midnight around 12:15 we left the bar and started to walk up Grand Avenue toward the Black Drop Coffee House My sister had already left beforehand. I was with a friend of mine and gave him a parting kiss goodbye. Seemingly from out of nowhere a man behind us called out “Faggot” I turned aground in complete utter shock and disgust and said excuse me? He said it again and then hit me in the face first in the nose and then in the jaw the police arrived almost instantly the bartender saw what was happening and called 911. There were about 6 witnesses. The man tried to run but Adam tackled him and held him until the police arrived. There was blood everywhere I was bleeding from my nose the paramedics came they thought my nose was broken but I refused to go to the hospital. I didn’t have insurance

The only bar I have gone out to alone since the altercation is Rumor’s I wasn’t feeling well and I needed to see the beauty that Queers are, to be reassured, to be around family. What advice would you have for others in our community? If something or someone hurts you in a way that makes you question your own purpose of being and in turn you internalize it and feel invalidated take time to really deliberate and take a step back and do things that are really healthy do what you need to to feel healthy again. In my case the police were there right away that is rarely the case.

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Did you press charges?

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As we get into the political season and Gay Marriage is becoming a wedge issue, it is important to realize that incidents of violence against Gay, Lesbian and Transgender people will likely take an uptick. That has happened in the past, and there is no reason to believe it wont happen again. If the religious right is successful at gathering signatures to put referendum 74 on November’s ballot we can expect inflammatory ads all over the airwaves paid for by the National Organization for Marriage and their surrogates. We can hope for a polite discussion of the issue, but if the battle of California’s Prop 8 is a template for what will happen here in November we must be ready to do what we can to be safe in our surroundings. Below you will find an interview with Augustine Jaime who was attacked in February.

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Local Faces of Marriage Equality

Nick Milhoan & Matt Swanson, together 8.5 years. We met nine years ago last month through my brothers now ex-girlfriend & started dating six months after. While we have no plans to get married (we do have our state Domestic Partnership) it would be nice to not only have the option to do so, but also to be considered equal under state law. This is a step in the right direction & hopefully one day federal law will allow all same-sex couples the ability to marry & receive the benefits/recognition of federal marriage, including tax breaks & the ability to travel throughout the country & not be considered a second class citizen, something we currently do not have the ability to do like that of straight married couples.

Taylor (T.J.) Anderson and Dana Burnidge have been together since the summer of 2009. They met at Rumors when a shirtless Dana told Taylor he was cute. Later in the evening Taylor sought out Dana and asked his name. A few meetings at the bar, some dates, and a bit of minor Facebook stalking later, they were on the road to a full-fledged relationship, and the rest as they say, is Bellinghistory.They do not have a domestic partnership, but both are pleased with the signs of progress coming from the Capitol. When asked what his thoughts were on Washington State's new marriage equality law Dana said: “I think it’s a wonderful thing that progress is still being made toward the advancement of civil rights in this country.” While they are not currently seeking to get married, they are happy that the option is there for them. “We would rather refrain from getting married, then be prevented from it” said TJ. Design: MeganKPeterson@gmail.com

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Jim Shook and Jerry Lynch met in a gay bar in Wichita Kansas in 1990 it was love at first sight Jim said “I saw Jerry in the bar went over and sat in his lap and said this is a great fit I think I will keep it! We've been together ever since.” Jerry moved to Whatcom County in 1992 and Jim followed in 1994 after a dear friend he was caregiver for passed away..They have lived together for the last 19 years. “We got a domestic partnership soon after they became available, we are lifetime partners when marriage becomes available to us we will be one of the first “Jim said. “Jim and I never thought marriage would be available for us in our lifetime” Jerry said. There is so little difference between a gay couple and a straight couple we have the same responsibilities, the same struggles, and the same dreams. “When we can marry it will be lovely “ Jim said.

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QUEER AZAADI 2012: A Gay Film Bibliography Bichoo Vrischik

After FIRE and the New Delhi High Court’s 2009 decriminalizing of homosexuality at least four queer film festivals have materialized across India. The first in the current season was the 2011 Q Fest in Pune, a two-day event including nine films December 10-11, with two shorts by Indians, Sonali Gulati’s SUMTOTAL (1999), a subjective look at sociologically problematic lesbianism in the U.S., with a score by Sheila Chandra, and Jasmine K. and Avinash Roy’s THROUGH OUR VIEWFINDER (2009), a documentary by female “sex workers” (prostitutes) and MSM telling their own stories. The first Q Fest in 2010 featured a short film by Zameer, LOVE LONELY. But “Technically, this was not the first queer film festival Pune had seen. Almost five years ago, a lesbian support group called Olava had conducted” a festival called Laargish, according to Ameya, a Pune ‘entrepreneur,’ in the article “From Sambhaji Park to Q-Fest Pune 2010” by Partha Sarathi Biswas, on the website (gaysi, the gay desi [Indian]) (6/1/11). “I would attribute” the success of Q-Fest, continues Ameya, “to the greater visibility of the present team and their judicious usage of social networking sites like Facebook.” Indeed, Pune has had its own queer e-magazine, THE QUEER CHRONICLE, since 2009. (And India has at least two other queer e-magazines, THE PINK PAGES and BOMBAY DOST.)

Meanwhile Bangalore from 2003 hosted small LBGT or Queer film festivals that led to the first Bangalore Queer Film Fest in 2009. From the beginning Bangalore did not limit itself to Indian or short films, in its first year presenting five feature films from seven countries, e.g., Robert Cuzzillo’s SENSO FINE (NO END, Italy/Holland, 2008) on lesbianism, artificial insemination and breast cancer, Wong Kar-Wai’s HAPPY TOGETHER (1997) on Chinese lovers separating in Argentina, two comedies on gay adoption, Miguel Albaledejo’s BEAR CLUB (Spain, 2009) and Laurie Lynd’s BREAKFAST WITH SCOT (Canada, 2008), on an ex-hockey player and his lover raising a child further out of the closet than they are, and Gus Van Sant’s MALA NOCHE (BAD NIGHT, USA, 1986). In 2011 it retrospected three Mandarin lesbian films by Zero Chou, SPLENDID FLOAT (2004), SPIDER LILIES: DO AS YOU DESIRE (2007), and DRIFTING FLOWERS (2008), and presented a dozen new short films from India and forty from other countries. Its fifty 2012 films added nine new Indian shorts, one each from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, the late Riyad

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In Kolkata from 2003 the Siddhartha Gautam Film Festival, named after the late lawyer who researched Indian sexual minorities, prostitutes, drug users and professional blood donors, and who started the first AIDS activist group in India, AIDS Bhedbhav Virodhi Andolan (ABVA) in New Delhi, is really a human rights film festival. An “outgrowth of a similar festival organized by The Friends of Siddhartha group in New Delhi” from 1993 to 2003, according to a 2005 Festival bulletin, in that year it launched the SAATHI (Friend) Rainbow Film Awards, “the first award of its kind in India that honors films portraying sexual minorities and actors in the roles of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender characters.” It was part of Kolkata’s Rainbow Pride Week in June 2009, before the repeal of 377. That year its films included Meenakshi Vinay Rai’s 30-minute KASHISH (ATTRACTION, Hindi, 2003), based on research on lesbians begun in 1993, Bikram Das’ KINNOR (a caste of folk entertainers, Bengali/Hindi/English, 2005), on laundas (Bengali and Bihari hijra entertainers), T. Jayashree’s MANY PEOPLE MANY DESIRES (ENGLISH/KANNADA/TAMIL, 2004), a documentary on sexual minorities in Bangalore, Tirthankar Guha Thakurta’s PIKU BHALO AACHHEY (PIKU IS FINE, Bengali, 2004) on coming out, and Onir’s feature MY BROTHER NIKIL (q.v.). In January 2012 the Festival morphed into Activism Towards a Just Society: Talks and Films in Memory of Siddharth [sic] Gautam, and on its second and final day presented Bishakha Datta’s 53-minute IN THE FLESH, on prostitutes (including one transgendered), and the transgendered Amitava Sarkar’s 43-minute FROM THE THIRD EYE, on male to female sex changes, in clockwise geographical order in Bihar, Manipur, West Bengal, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. Siddhartha Gautam died of cancer at 28 in 1992. The Siddhartha Gautam Foundation is supported in part by the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

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Transliterations

Queer India - continued Vinci Wadia’s Indian short classics BOMgAY and A MERMAID NAMED AIDA (both 1996) and Jean Genet’s 1980 erotic prison drama UN CHANT D’AMOUR (A SONG OF LOVE). But the biggest queer Indian film festival, since 2010, is Mumbai’s Kashish (the word has no “gender or sexuality construct,” according to the festival website), and the only one in a mainstream theatre. Organized by Sridhar Rangayan (director of GULABI AAINA and 68 PAGES, q.v.) and Vivek Anand, a documentary producer and Executive Officer of the Humsafar (Fellow-Traveler) Trust, Mumbai’s first and most prominent gay organization. The eleven features among its 110 films from twenty-three countries in 2010 included the Indian DUNNO Y… NA JANNE KYU, the India-related I CAN’T THINK STRAIGHT, and its retrospectives BOMgAY, three films by Prtibha Parmar (all q.v.), Ian Iqbal Rashid’s SURVIVING SABU (1998), on the Indian-English-American actor, and Jehangir Janka’s MAKE UPS (2005), fiction on the lives of an actress (Zeenat Aman), a prostitute, and a gay typist.

Mumbai’s Queer Azaadi (Gay Pride) Week, inaugurated in 2008, in 2012 took place January 21-28, following the January 15 Queer Games. There was a photography exhibit, a classical dance concert, a Bird Cage Fund Raiser, the Kashish shorts, a play, a Flash Mob, an open mike night called Dirty Talk at the Big Nasty bar (gay for the night, there being no gay bar in Mumbai), a Dance Off, a rock concert and a Queer Azaadi March (Gay Pride Parade) from Kranti Maidan to Chowpatty Beach. At the after-party at the Liquid Lounge, to Hindi film remixes, I danced my sandals off.

In recent news the Miss Universe Canada Pageant disqualified one of their contestants but didn’t give a reason. For the contestant, Jenna Talackova, however, the reason was very clear. Jenna was disqualified because she was born male. As I’ve looked into the story I’ve seen all sorts of commentary. Some people believe it was justified, saying this is a pageant for women and she wasn’t born a woman, so she shouldn’t compete. Others think it was clear discrimination. The rules say nothing about the sex of the contestants, so she should have been in the clear no matter how she was born. But for me this raises another question. What makes a woman a woman? What most of the commentators seem to be leaving out is that this puts Jenna’s gender up for discussion; something she has fought her whole life to have. Transgender women face discrimination from all sides. Not only do we face the issues of sexism most women do, but we have the added challenge of having to struggle just to be recognized as the gender we know we are. So that brings it back to the question: what makes a woman a woman? The most commonly accepted factor society uses to determine someone’s gender is what’s between their legs. We’re taught as children that if you have a penis you’re a boy and if you have a vagina you’re a girl. As we grow up we’re shown that there are things boys do and things girls do and they’re very different. But what about a girl who likes to climb trees and get dirty? What about a boy who would rather jump rope and play house? Their gender isn’t called into question. What about a man who loses his penis in a tragic accident? He’s still a man, isn’t he? So what makes him a man? For me there is a defining internal compass that guides me to my gender. It’s not that I love makeup and fruity drinks and chick flicks. It’s not the way I communicate and feel or my mannerisms. It’s everything combined and then some. All of these gendered actions rolled into what makes me who I am. Take a few of those things away and I’d still be a woman. At my very core that’s who I am. Any cis-gender (non-trans) person would feel the same way about themselves. You can’t put your finger on it, but there is something inside of you that makes you the gender you are. And that is why it is so important that we be made aware of Jenna’s story. It would be wrong to say that she isn’t a woman. She’s certainly not a man. And something inside of her knows that she’s female. Whoever organizes the pageant has made a grave error in judgment. Unfortunately that is just a small taste of the discrimination trans people face every day. The best thing to do is just move forward. Do what you know is right.

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The 2011 Kashish opening night feature was the Peruvian CONTRACORRIENTE (q.v.), and among its 124 films from 23 countries were two from India with the same name, I AM, the first fiction by Onir and the second documentary by Sonali Gulati (both 2011). There were six Israeli shorts, and retrospectives on Jenni Olsen, including 575 CASTRO STREET (q.v.) and Q. Allan Brocka. Each year Kashish offers a program of short Indian films to other festivals around the world. The 2011 package includes four Bengali films -- Shomona Bannerjee’s KUSUM (THE FLOWER BUD (2010) on a transvestite prostitute and her English-speaking client, Aniban Ghosh’s DIARIES OF TRANSFORMATION (2010) on seven “individuals with trans identities,” Debalina Majumdar’s TAAR CHEYE SE ANEK ARO (MORE THAN A FRIEND, 2010) on an affair between a female filmmaker and a college teacher, Som’s LET THERE BE LIGHT (2011) on a suicidal HIV+ man; two in Tamil, V. Ramanathan’s NAANUM ORU PENN (I AM A WOMAN TOO, 2009) on the workplace harassment of a transgender software employee, B. Ilangovan’s AGRINIGAL? (CREATURES? 2011) on the life struggle of two transgendered women, and two in English, Mathew and Miriam Chandy Menacherry’s IN THE CLOSET (2011) on a gay afternoon tryst -- and the 2011 Kashish short film winner, Ranadeep Bhattacharyya and Judhajit Bagachi’s AMEN (2011) on the banker Andy and the humble Harry brought together by the World Wide Web. The 2012 Kashish Queer Film Festival will take place May 23-27

Taelor Anne Warner

GLBT Organizations in Whatcom and Skagit Counties ISCEE The Imperial Sovereign Court of the Evergreen Empire is affiliated with the International Court System and has been actively raising money for charity for over 30 years by sponsoring drag shows and pageants. The group is open to all regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation, seeking to provide social activities and community service opportunities for gays, lesbians, and their friends and allies in Whatcom, Skagit and San Juan Counties. Leather, Levi & Bear Social Monthly gathering of men who like Leather, Kink, and Unabashed Masculinity. Second Saturday of the month, Rumors Cabaret, 7:30 to 10:30. Info 360.380.6409 www.theslowlane.com This website includes a gay resource guide for Bellingham located at www. theslowlane.com/guide.html.

Triskeli Guild The Triskeli Guild is Bellingham’s BDSM group that promotes community and education for safe, sane and consensual play. They encourage participation by all sexual preferences, race and age 18 and up people. www.triskeli.org Queries—triskeli@ triskeli.org Evergreen AIDS Foundation Evergreen AIDS Foundation provides support services for people living

Washington Gender Alliance A support and educational organization for anyone dealing with issues of gender identity or expression, and the people in our lives. We have weekly Open Support meetings in Bellingham and Everett. For more information, please write to us at info@ WashingtonGenderAlliance.com or call 360-445-2411, or visit our web site at www.WashingtonGenderAlliance. com. Sean Humphrey House A housing unit for people who need assistance living with HIV/AIDS in Bellingham. For more information call 360-733-9357 On Eagle’s Wings Counseling Sue Stackhouse offers counseling services to the GLBT community in Whatcom and Skagit County. For information call 360-599-2627 PFLAG of Skagit County Support meetings for Parents, Friends and Families of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people and GLBT individuals are held at Central United Methodist Church, 1013 Polte Rd, Sedro-Woolley on the second Monday of every month at 7 PM. For directions and information all 360-856-4676 and for additional information and events check the website at www.pflagskagit. org. Bellingham Radical Faeries Community of queerfolk interested in lifestyles celebrating queer sexuality, spirituality and sustainability of the natural world. 18+ recommended. Meets every Saturday at Noon at Trapeze in the Bellingham Market on Cornwall http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ BellinghamRadicalFaeries/

Whatcom County PFLAG Whatcom County Parents Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays meets the 2ND Thursday of each month, 7pm at First Congregational Church, 2401 Cornwall Avenue, Bellingham. For more information and events visit www.whatcompflag.com Whatcom Community College’s Queer Straight Alliance is committed to supporting the GLBT community by promoting awareness of queer issues and entertaining and educating students and staff of WCC. We can be reached at wccqsa@gmail.com. Whatcom County KINK is a group to help organize events, munches, help if you have items to sell, or just a way for people to get to know each other. Meetings are the 1st Tuesday of the month at Rumor’s Cabaret. Happy Spankings! Western Washington University LGBTA The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Alliance at Western Washington University is a student organization which supports lesbians, gays, bisexuals, people who identify as transgender, and their allies; in the various stages of their coming out process, in the creation and affirmation of positive self identities, and in the promotion and defense of their human and civil rights. The LGBTA is located on Western’s Campus in Viking Union 515 and is open from the first day of Fall quarter until the last day of Spring quarter. For information call 360-650-6120.

Mount Baker Planned Parenthood Mt. Baker Planned Parenthood proudly demonstrates its commitment to the LGBTQ community in all of our educational and service areas, by partnering with LGBTQ service organizations and through sponsorship and participation in Bellingham Pride. Our goal is to ensure that every individual has the information, services, and freedom to make healthy, responsible decisions about sex, sexuality, and parenthood. We offer comprehensive reproductive care, affordable STD testing and treatment and annual exams. Sliding scale available. Make an appointment online! http://www.mbpp.org Bellingham Clinic: (360)734-9095 Mount Vernon Clinic: (360)848-1744

Counseling Education Programs Support Groups Children’s Services Parenting Classes Crisis Intervention Shelter Referrals Info and Referrals Legal Assistance 24-hour support There is NEVER an excuse for domestic violence or sexual assault.

We’re here to help. Free, safe, and confidential. 24-Hour Support (360)715-1563 www.dvsas.org

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4th Corner Poly Polyamory is the practice or acceptance of having more than one loving, honest relationship at a time. We’re a friendly, welcoming group for people involved in or curious about polyamorous relationships. Our group consists of and welcomes diverse sexual and gender identities . This is a family, kid-friendly get-together for sharing experiences and desires—not a dating or swing scene. we meet every 4th Thursday evening at alternating locations. For more information: http://groups. yahoo.com/group/4thcornerpoly

with HIV and AIDS who reside in Whatcom, Skagit, Island, San Juan and Snohomish counties. Bellingham: 115 Unity St. 360-671-0703, Everett: 2709 Wetmore Ave. 425-740-3000

Throw Back

MONDAY Karaoke

THURSDAY 80’s & 90’s

3 Jim Beam $ 2.75 Micros $

1 Wells $ 2.25 Rainier 11-1 $ 2 Wells

9-11

Pitchers

TUESDAY

9-11 $ 1 Wells 2.25 $

PBR

11-CL

Pitchers

1 HighLife

WEDNESDAY Betty Desire $ PBR

1.25 $ 2.75

Fire

@ 10

Pints

Ball

FRIDAY

9-12 3 Long Island $

Short-wave &

Postal

Q-BNZA

SATURDAY

Mike Tolleson 9-12 $ 5 Pinnacle Bombs